Suffolk's wildlife baby boom: from baby bunnies to Bambi

As summer now progresses, many parents are still nurturing their offspring and some species are yet to give birth or produce further clutches of eggs.

Different species have adapted varying techniques for tending their youngsters.

Amongst the least maternal of all mammals are brown hare does.

This baby leveret won't get a lot of mothering (Image: John Boyle)

After giving birth to between one and four leverets the mother leaves her offspring hidden in a field and only returns once a day, generally at dusk, to suckle them and move them to a new location.

This process is repeated for a couple of weeks until the leverets start to graze.

The doe will continue to nurse her young for up to two months and she can produce up to three litters a year.

Vixens are attentive mums (Image: John Boyle)

In contrast to hares, fox cubs will be tended by an attentive vixen in their underground den, and she will be aided by the dog fox which will hunt prey for the family.

Sometimes the mother fox will also be supported by subordinate non-breeding vixens.

Spotted fallow deer fawns can be seen in the open now, trotting ungainly behind their mothers on unsteady legs as if auditioning for a starring role in Bambi.

Fallow deer and fawn in Suffolk last week (Image: John Boyle)

The fawns will have remained hidden for the first week or two after birth, relying on their camouflage to keep them safe from potential predators.

They will rapidly gain size and strength to enable them to keep up with the moving herd.

Baby rabbits are usually associated with Easter bunnies and the peak breeding season is between April and June, but youngsters can be seen anytime between February and September as a female rabbit can produce a litter every month during this period if conditions are ideal.

Baby bunnies aren't just for Easter (Image: John Boyle)

The most visible youngsters through the summer months are the hundreds of fledglings leaving their nests with many venturing into gardens to follow their parents and demand food.

Starlings, house sparrows, blackbirds and goldfinches are often seen and heard and a young long-tailed tit with its distinctive bandit mask may perch in a tree whilst awaiting a visit from a parent.

A goldfinch fledgling demands food (Image: John Boyle)

Sparrowhawk pairs breed comparatively late in the year, timing their breeding cycle to perfection so that their youngsters are growing rapidly and requiring most food just as these songbird fledglings are leaving their nests in huge numbers.

A female sparrowhawk mother returns with food for her fledglings (Image: John Boyle)

Out on the water swans and geese watch protectively over this year’s brood whilst dutiful great crested grebes split the parenting responsibilities with both the male and female birds allowing their humbug patterned chicks to hitch a ride on their backs.

Our two species of seal have surprisingly different breeding cycles.

Common or harbour seals have been giving birth to their pups during the early summer and these youngsters are able to join their mother in the water within a few hours of taking their first breath.

One of this year's harbour seal pups (Image: John Boyle)

Pregnant grey seal cows will be hauling out onto beaches in the autumn to give birth. Their pups must remain on land for around a month until they have moulted their white fur to reveal a sleek, waterproof adult coat.

The mother’s milk is fifty percent fat, so the pups gain weight rapidly, putting on the protective layer of blubber their aquatic lifestyle demands.

During this summer baby boom creatures may become separated from their parents whilst still reliant on them.

Usually, they will be reunited so it is generally best to just observe “orphans“ from a distance unless they are clearly in danger or distress and seek advice from a specialist wildlife rescue organisation where necessary.